Poster Presentation ESA-SRB-ANZOS 2025 in conjunction with ENSA

Childcare arrangements and weight status in Australian preschoolers (128567)

Huong Ngoc Quynh Tran 1 2 3 , Anthony Niu 1 3 , Alison Hayes 2 4 , Penny Love 1 2 , Vicki Brown 1 2 3
  1. Deakin University, Burwood, VICTORIA, Australia
  2. Centre of Research Excellence in the Early Prevention of Obesity in Childhood, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  3. Institute for Health Transformation, School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University, Deakin Health Economics, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
  4. Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Aims: Childhood obesity has detrimental health consequences, persisting into adulthood. Early interventions during the first five years of life are critical. Children aged under five years spend considerable amounts of time in early education and care environments, making them key settings for obesity prevention. This study investigates the association between different childcare types and weight status, using a nationally representative dataset.

Methods: Data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, Waves 2-3, Cohort B (aged 2 to <6 years) were used. The primary outcome was body mass index z-score. The primary exposure was self-reported weekly hours spent in formal, informal and relative care (a subset of informal care, e.g., care by grandparents or other relatives). Logistic regression analyses were performed for nominal panel data, adjusting for key confounders. Results are reported as odds ratios. Sensitivity analyses explored subgroup differences.

Results: Weekly hours spent in formal care are significantly associated with increased odds of overweight/obesity or obesity in both boys and girls. For every additional hour per week in formal care, the odds of having overweight/obesity, and obesity increase by 2.7% (SE: 0.4%, p<0.05) and 1.8% (SE: 0.5%, p<0.05), respectively, holding other variables constant. Statistically significant associations were observed between weekly hours spent in informal care and odds of overweight/obesity in girls only. The associations between weekly hours spent in relative care and odds of obesity were only statistically significant when boys and girls were analysed as a combined group.

Conclusions: Time spent in formal care was statistically significantly associated with increased odds of overweight and obesity in children aged under six years. Further research is required to understand the role of formal care environments in shaping child weight status, particularly among children with overweight or obesity, and how these settings can be improved to better support child health and wellbeing.